Cristiano Ronaldo successfully fought to reduce his punishment for walking out on a Portugal training camp, after saying publicly that his sanction should be imposed without mitigating circumstances.
Disciplinary Inquiry and Mitigation Arguments
Following his departure from the training camp in Denmark last month, Ronaldo stated on social media that he should be punished as the Portuguese Football Federation saw fit and that his role as captain constituted an aggravating factor. However, during the disciplinary council’s inquiry, the 41-year-old put forward several arguments for cutting his punishment, including his clean disciplinary record in recent seasons and his services to football.
Ronaldo received a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine. The document accompanying the ruling reveals he presented three arguments in mitigation: his disciplinary record this season and in the previous three seasons, his services to football including recognition for sporting merit, and his contribution to establishing the facts of the case.
To support these arguments, Ronaldo listed the club titles he has won and his achievements with the national team, namely the 2016 European Championship and two Nations League titles. His individual awards were also highlighted, including the fact that the Al-Nassr forward has won the Ballon d’Or five times. Beyond his achievements on the pitch, he mentioned the honours he had received from senior state officials.
The decision-makers accepted Ronaldo’s arguments concerning his achievements and services to the country, using them to halve his suspension and fine. The punishment was then halved again because Ronaldo had accepted responsibility for his actions. His suspension will be served in a period during which there are no international matches, and it remains unclear whether he intends to return to the national team or whether head coach Jorge Jesus will select him again.
Departure from Camp and Social Media Fallout
The account of events provides a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding Ronaldo’s departure from the training camp. After head coach Jesus held a press conference reiterating that he was in charge of the team and that no player would influence his selection decisions, Ronaldo requested a vehicle from the FPF and set off for Copenhagen airport.
During the journey, he called the Portuguese federation’s president, Pedro Proença, and told him he was not in the right frame of mind to remain with the team. The ruling states that the defendant did not inform or provide prior justification to the federation or the men’s national team officials regarding his intention to leave the stadium and the training camp. Between 30 September and 4 October, Ronaldo missed more than 30 team activities, including travel, training sessions, and meals.
The federation stated that Ronaldo’s promise on social media, after leaving the training camp, to tell his fans the whole truth brought further negative attention to the incident. The inquiry concluded that given his prominence as a global public figure, Ronaldo was expected to exercise particular caution in choosing the timing and manner of expressing his dissatisfaction, instead of fueling speculation and public curiosity with an Instagram post.
Portugal are scheduled to play Denmark again in their next game on 14 November in Braga.
Source: Football | The Guardian
